Inspiration Category Archives

I am a bit old school in so many ways even though I am constantly pushing myself to stay technology savy. I prefer a catalog to the internet while researching products for clients. I delight in a handwritten note over an email. I always look to pen and paper first for conceptual design. I take calligraphy classes. I often send printed photos to my family in the mail. And, I still enjoy thumbing …

Anyone that knows me well knows that I love jewelry. Scouring flea markets, antique malls, estate sales, and the occasional thrift store has been a favorite past time for me for many years. It is not uncommon for me to go off track in the antique shop looking over jewelry displays when I am supposed to be researching and shopping for my own projects! Nevertheless, jewelry brings me …

While out and about over the holidays I stumbled upon a small shop where I discovered a new book. It was actually a journal that the owner was particularly excited, and was written by a local Seattle author and fashion entrepreneur, Moorea Seal. I guess a girl that walks into a stationary boutique is most likely to be a list maker, a dreamer, and a planner, as …

I was so inspired by the documentary, Iris, that a friend of mine recommended I watch the documentary, “Bill Cunningham New York“. Not only was I inspired, but I was fascinated. Bill Cunningham is a legend. This New York City photographer rides his bike, at the age of 86, all over the city to capture the best in fashion. His motivation is to capture the unique and …

It’s back! That color I never loved as a kid in the eighties that was casting on everything everywhere in the interiors world, burgundy! I remember how every dining room, every library, every office seemed to have burgundy walls and of course, accented with hunter or teal green! Well, this time it is not just called burgundy, but bordeaux or marsala (pantone.com) or oxblood, and it’s …

This past week I had the privilege be one of three designers reviewing the portfolios of some local interior design students. This was their “Student Career Day” in which the students share their portfolios, talk to professionals, and tour the Seattle Design Center as a part of the education process. I am the “black sheep” of my family given that I was the only one that did not …

Over the past few months I have had friends, family and even clients ask me if I had read this book: The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo. I had not until this past week end. I found it to be a fast and easy read that resonates with me both personally and professionally. One of the many things that stood out …

What inspires you? Is it a person, a place, a thing? Is it nature or architecture? Is it a color, or a shade, or a shadow? This past week end, I watched the documentary film on Iris Apfel. Iris was an interior designer, a textile business woman (Old World Weavers), and today, an international fashion icon. Oh, her jewelry! I know for a fact that …

As we transition our wardrobes in to fall, we transition our homes as well. The changing of the seasons is one of the biggest pleasures in life. Every year, I savor it. I must admit the change from the hot summer sun to the cool autumn air is my most favorite time of the year. I love the Indian summers of September where the sunsets …

Black is anything but just basic. I love black. I love to see it used in interiors and every time I do I am entranced. From wall coverings, to flooring coverings, to artwork and textiles, I always gravitate towards black. A small dose of black can make other colors appear more crisp while a large dose can create drama yet remain classic. Sometimes I will …

Dixie Stark

An interior designer based in Seattle, Dixie enjoys blogging for the 'design curious'. She has been featured in dozens of publications including Elle Decor, Luxe, House Beautiful, and Seattle Homes & Lifestyles.